King v. Burwell

Supreme Court Should Side with Petitioners, Reinstate ObamaCare as Written and Intended, and Open Door to Changes to Health Policy

WASHINGTON D.C. – Today as the Supreme Court hears oral argument in King v. Burwell, Heather Higgins, President and CEO of Independent Women’s Voice, released the following statement:

"Today we urge the Supreme Court Justices to uphold ObamaCare as originally written -- not as later revised and extended by the IRS when only a few states took the 'carrot' of subsidies and signed up to be state exchanges -- and free millions of Americans in as many as 37 states from the burdens of ObamaCare’s mandates and penalties.

"A decision against the government will not repeal ObamaCare but will only return the system to what was written in the law as passed by Congress. Such a ruling would undo the decision by HHS and the IRS, on their own authority, to send tax dollars to insurance companies in states that declined to accept them because those states chose to protect their citizens as best they could from mandates and penalties.

"This case is being brought on behalf of millions of Americans who are hurt by the decision of the IRS to change the rules of the so-called Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act and subject them to mandates and penalties that otherwise wouldn’t apply. If the court rules in favor of the plaintiffs, as many as fifty million people could be protected from facing these penalties, and with them the risk of losing their existing insurance or seeing their jobs shrunk or cut altogether.

"Pro-government commentators know they have no legal case and so are trying to manufacture a crisis by irresponsibly and deliberately putting the maximum number of people at risk for losing the subsidies on which they now depend to be able to afford insurance, as most of them used to be able to afford policies they liked but which this law caused them to lose.

"But the crisis is already here. The crisis is ObamaCare itself, which has resulted in millions of health insurance cancellations and premium increases, the loss of countless jobs and opportunities, and the destruction of many doctor-patient relationships. Ranking members of both the House and Senate have made it clear that even if the Administration will not clean up its own mess, they will provide transition assistance to these people as part of a bridge to a better healthcare system that actually values choice and affordability.

"A ruling in favor of petitioners in this case would allow Americans to move past the frustrating political stalemate of this unworkable law. We ask leaders in Congress and in states to protect those who were misled by the IRS and issued illegal subsidies. Then, finally, Americans can work together to make health care better, more affordable, more simple, with more choices, and built for and by the American people, not the IRS."

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Independent Women's Voice is a 501(c)(4) nonpartisan, nonprofit organization for mainstream women, men and families dedicated to promoting limited government, free markets, and personal responsibility. IWV is an affiliate organization of the Independent Women's Forum.

Independent Women’s Voice is an advocacy 501(c)(4) that fights for women and families by effectively expanding support among women, independents, and millennials for policy solutions that aren’t just well intended, but actually enhance people’s freedom, choices, and opportunities.